1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of line attachments. More specifically, the invention comprises an attachment mechanism for removably attaching objects to a line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many devices are attached to fishing lines such as sinkers, floaters, and dissolvable fish attractants. It is common for a fisherman to change one or more of these devices during the course of a fishing expedition to increase the likelihood of getting a “bite.” Although the present invention relates to any sort of device that is attached to a fishing line, the invention will be considered as used in its most basic form—on a sinker.
Fishing sinkers or weights are widely used by fishermen to submerge fishing lures to the desired depth. Sinkers are typically made of small pieces of lead, brass, or other heavy material and are attached to the line. Inventors of prior art sinkers have employed different methods of attaching sinkers to the line to accomplish different objectives. Sometimes it is desirable for the sinker to be attached to the line so that it can slide freely on the line, and other times it is desirable to have the weight stay at a specific spot on the line. In most cases, however, it is desirable for the weight to be easily removable from the line.
The earliest fishing sinkers were either clamped or tied securely to a fishing line. To change the weight on a fishing line, a fisherman would have to cut the line and add a new weight. Since then, several inventions have addressed the issue of removability. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,741,067, 4,691,468, 5,157,860 are representative of the prior art. These inventions, although removable, have presented other limitations by either requiring the use of tools or otherwise being cumbersome to deal with under typical fishing conditions.
It is therefore desirable to have a variety of fishing weight and other line attachments that can easily be added or taken off a line.